Introducing the legend of Shippeitaro, who became the motif of the Iwata City image character "Shippei".

In the old days, it was customary for the daughter of the house, who had a white arrow on the wing of the house, to be offered as a human sacrifice offering alive to the gods at the festival of Mitsuke Tenjin on August 10. The villagers cried and grieved at every festival.

One year, a traveling monk who visited Mitsuke heard this story and wondered if this tradition could be abolished. He found out that this was the work of monsters, and heard the monsters whisper, "Don't tell Shippeitaro of Shinano no Kuni." The monk travels to Shinano no Kuni present-day Nagano Prefecture in search of Shippeitaro. There, I found out that Shippeitaro was a dog kept in Kozenji Temple Komagane City, Nagano Prefecture, and I borrowed this dog.

In August of the following year, on the day of the festival, Shippeitaro was placed in a coffin instead of a human sacrifice and offered to the god Mitsuke Tenjin. And the moment the monster opened the coffin, Shippeitaro attacked the monster and defeated the monster after a long struggle. The monster was a big old baboon. After that, the custom of human sacrifice disappeared.
It is said that Shippeitaro, who was wounded in this battle, made it to Kozenji Temple and died, or that he died on the way back.

Iwata City and Komagane City have become friendly cities because of this legend of Shippeitaro. In Komagane City, Shippeitaro is called Hayataro, and there is a grave of Hayataro in Kozenji Temple.